AAPAC selected Ann Arbor muralist Mary Thiefels of TreeTown Murals for the project at its Jan. 25, 2012 meeting. The final design has been changed from her original proposal, based on feedback from a mural task force, and is more abstract than the original. An initial $10,000 budget later had been increased to $12,000, with $7,200 of that amount to be paid for with a grant from the Ann Arbor Area Community Foundation.

Thiefel’s project includes working with local schools and incorporating ideas from students into her design – creating  mosaics on the pillars of the building at Allmendinger Park. This is the first mural in a pilot program that AAPAC hopes will eventually create several murals in city neighborhoods. The commission’s annual art plan for fiscal year 2013 – which begins July 1, 2012 – allocates an additional $40,000 to fund two more murals. No locations or artists have been selected for those projects.

In a separate vote, commissioners approved a statement of qualifications (SOQ) that will be issued by the city. [.pdf of mural SOQ] The objective, as stated in the SOQ, is to “find professional muralists and other artists whose work meets a set of standards and to pre-qualify them for City of Ann Arbor mural projects to be contracted in 2012 to 2014.” General expectations cited in the SOQ include: (1) work experience in mural artwork, or other media of a similar type; (2) proficiency in 2-D or surface mounted media and art fabrication; (3) the ability to work together with oversight bodies, project managers and city staff; and (4) the ability to work on location and complete an artwork installation in a timely manner.

Some commissioners advocated soliciting artists more frequently than a two-year period. Ultimately, commissioners voted to approve the initial SOQ, and directed Aaron Seagraves – the city’s public art administrator – to investigate the possibility of refreshing the pool of artists annually, using the same SOQ.

This brief was filed from the basement conference room at city hall, 301 E. Huron, where AAPAC held its June meeting. A more detailed report will follow: [link]

Draft of a schematic showing the Ann Arbor public art commission's process, from ideas through implementation. Other steps include decision-making, task force work, artist proposals, and selection. The flow chart is being designed by Hannah Nathans, a University of Michigan undergraduate who's working as an intern with the city. (Photos by the writer.)

Ideas included public art at the planned South State and Ellsworth roundabout, projects in underserved neighborhoods, the traffic island at the Washtenaw split with East Stadium, the dog park at Ellsworth and Platt, the non-motorized path along Washtenaw Avenue, and the skatepark at Veterans Memorial Park. About $500,000 is available in unallocated Percent for Art funds, with an estimated $200,000 to $300,000 coming in to the program annually from upcoming capital projects.

The discussion led some commissioners to speculate on the possibility of changing the composition of AAPAC to increase the number of commissioners, so that more people would be available to handle the work. Another possibility  they discussed was making the public art administrator’s job a full-time position. Currently, the public art administrator’s job is defined as 20 hours per week, with additional hours added for management of specific projects. After some discussion, it seems unlikely that commissioners will pursue either of those options at this time.

The commission handled two action items during the May 23 meeting. Connie Rizzolo Brown was recommended to represent AAPAC on a new city task force for the North Main/Huron River corridor. The task force had been established by the city council at its May 7, 2012 meeting with 10 members, then expanded at the council’s May 21 meeting to include four additional members. The council vote to add an AAPAC representative had passed on a 6-5 split, with some councilmembers concerned that the group was getting too large.

At their May 23 meeting, art commissioners also voted to fully fund the mural project at Allmendinger Park for $12,000. Previously, an initial $10,000 budget later had been increased to $12,000, with $7,200 of that amount to be paid for with a grant from the Ann Arbor Area Community Foundation. But the city council first must formally accept the grant, and that’s not expected to happen until its June 18 meeting. Meanwhile, Percent for Art funds will be allocated to the project so that a contract can be executed with artist Mary Thiefels. The foundation grant will eventually reimburse the program for this project.

Also discussed at Wednesday’s meeting were the upcoming Golden Paintbrush awards, which will likely be presented at the city council’s June 18 meeting. The awards recognize local contributions to public art. This year, former AAPAC chair Margaret Parker will be among those artists honored.

North Main/Huron River Task Force

At the Ann Arbor city council’s May 21 meeting, councilmember Tony Derezinski (Ward 2) lobbied successfully to add a member of the city’s public art commission to a task force that had been created by council to study the corridor along North Main Street and the Huron River. Derezinski is also a member of AAPAC.

The task force was established by the city council at its May 7, 2012 meeting, with 10 members in the following areas: one member of the park advisory commission, one member of the planning commission, one resident representing the Water Hill neighborhood, one resident representing the North Central neighborhood, one resident from the Old Fourth Ward, one resident representing the Broadway/Pontiac neighborhood, two business and property owners from the affected area, and one member of the Huron River Watershed Council.

At its May 21 meeting, the two sponsors of the resolution that created the task force – Ward 1 councilmembers Sabra Briere and Sandi Smith – proposed adding three additional representatives: a member of the city council, someone from the boating/fishing community of river users, and a representative from the Huron River Citizens Association.

Derezinski then proposed an amendment to add an AAPAC member to the task force, too. After some discussion – and concerns that the task force was growing too large – the AAPAC addition was passed by council on a 6-5 vote.

At AAPAC’s May 23 meeting, Derezinski told commissioners that “basically, we need someone at the table.”

Connie Rizzolo Brown, pictured here at AAPAC's April 2012 meeting, volunteered to be the commission's representative on a North Main/Huron River corridor task force.

The task force is charged with delivering a report to the city council more than a year from now (by July 31, 2013) that describes “a vision to create/complete/enhance pedestrian and bike connection from downtown to Bandemer and Huron River Drive, increase public access to the river-side amenities of existing parks in the North Main-Huron River corridor, ease traffic congestion at Main and Depot at certain times of a day and recommend use of MichCon property at Broadway; …”

Earlier than the due date for the main main report is a Dec. 31, 2012 deadline for the task force to make recommendations on the use of the city-owned 721 N. Main parcel.

AAPAC chair Marsha Chamberlin noted that several commissioners had expressed interest in being on the task force. Cathy Gendron, who’s been talking with developer Bill Martin about a possible public/private partnership along the North Main corridor, said she probably shouldn’t do it since her term ends later this year and she’s not seeking reappointment. Gendron has served on AAPAC since its formation in 2008.

Connie Rizzolo Brown, who has served on AAPAC since early 2009, noted that her term also ends in December 2012, but she wanted to volunteer for the task force. She is a principal of Rizzolo Brown Studio, an Ann Arbor architectural design firm. Chamberlin noted that Brown – who leads AAPAC’s projects committee – has been interested in gateway projects for a long time.

Outcome: Commissioners unanimously voted to recommend that Connie Rizzolo Brown be nominated for a position on a task force to study the corridor along North Main Street and the Huron River. That recommendation will be forwarded to mayor John Hieftje. Appointments are expected to be made at the council’s June 4 meeting.

Funding for Allmendinger Mural

Aaron Seagraves, the city’s public art administrator, brought forward an item asking the commission to allocate full funding to the Allmendinger mural project from the Percent for Art program. AAPAC selected Ann Arbor muralist Mary Thiefels of TreeTown Murals for the project at its Jan. 25, 2012 meeting. An initial $10,000 budget later had been increased to $12,000, with $7,200 of that amount to be paid for with a grant from the Ann Arbor Area Community Foundation.

However, the foundation grant must first be formally accepted by the Ann Arbor city council, and that hasn’t happened yet, Seagraves said. It is expected to be on the council’s June 18 agenda. In order to move ahead with the project and execute a contract with Thiefels, Seagraves asked commissioners to approve full funding of the project from Percent for Art funds, with the understanding that $7,200 of the funding would be reimbursed with the community foundation grant after it’s accepted by the council.

Wiltrud Simbuerger, who leads the mural task force, said Thiefels has already started working on the project, even without a contract. Marsha Chamberlin noted that AAPAC had been contacted by the community foundation regarding the grant about a year ago – it’s taken a long time to process.

Thiefel’s project includes working with local schools and incorporating ideas from students into her design – creating  mosaics at the top and bottom of pillars on the building at Allmendinger Park. This is the first mural in a pilot program that AAPAC hopes will eventually create several murals in city neighborhoods. The commission’s annual art plan for fiscal year 2013 – which begins July 1, 2012 – allocates an additional $40,000 to fund two more murals. No locations or artists have been selected for those projects.

Outcome: Commissioners approved funding for the Allmendinger mural, with planned reimbursement from the Ann Arbor Area Community Foundation grant.

Communications: Golden Paintbrush Awards, Townie Party

During her report from the public relations committee, Cathy Gendron gave an update on plans for the Golden Paintbrush awards. The annual awards are presented at a city council meeting and recognize local contributions to public art. Though all of the winners have not been publicly announced, AAPAC’s discussion made it clear that one of the awards will be given to Margaret Parker, AAPAC’s former chair who left the commission when her term ended last year.

Aaron Seagraves, the city’s public art administrator, indicated that he hadn’t yet been able to confirm that the awards were on the June 4 city council agenda. Marsha Chamberlin, AAPAC’s chair, told commissioners that Seagraves wouldn’t be able to attend the June 4 meeting because he’ll be out of town – he’s getting married on June 2. Commissioners discussed moving the awards to the June 18 meeting, to accommodate his schedule. He said he’d check with the award winners to see if they can attend on the 18th, and also if it’s possible to place the presentation on the city council agenda for that meeting.

After the city council presentation, a reception for the Golden Paintbrush winners is planned in the atrium of city hall, at 301 E. Huron. Commissioners discussed inviting others who’ve been instrumental in public art activities, including members of various AAPAC task forces.

Gendron also noted that the PR committee is preparing for this year’s Townie Street Party, held on Monday, July 16 at Ingalls Mall. It’s an annual event hosted by the Ann Arbor Street Art Fair prior to the art fairs, which this year run from July 18-21. Gendron hoped that other commissioners would help shoot video at the party, talking to people about why public art is important.

Bob Miller noted that he’d been recruited to AAPAC as the result of meeting commissioner Malverne Winborne at last year’s Townie Street Party.

Communications: Update from City Council

In addition to the discussion about the North Main corridor task force, Tony Derezinski told commissioners that the May 21 city council meeting had included a proposed budget amendment that would have “tickled” the public art commission’s work. But that amendment was defeated, he said. [For a close look at budget deliberations on this and other amendments, see Chronicle coverage: "Debate Details: Ann Arbor FY 2013 Budget."]

The budget amendment, brought forward by Stephen Kunselman (Ward 3) and Jane Lumm (Ward 2), would have eliminated $307,299 in transfers to public art. It was rejected on a 2-9 vote, with support only from Kunselman and Lumm. It stipulated that the transfers from various city funds into the public art fund would not take place, “notwithstanding city code” – a reference to the city’s Percent for Art ordinance. The Percent for Art ordinance requires that 1% of all capital improvement projects, up to a cap of $250,000 per capital project, be set aside for public art. The amendment would have prevented the transfer of $60,649 out of the drinking water fund, $22,400 out of the stormwater fund, $101,750 out of the sewer fund, and $122,500 out of the street millage fund.

The council had re-debated its public art ordinance most recently at its May 7, 2012 meeting, in the context of a sculpture for the Justice Center lobby, which was ultimately approved.

At AAPAC’s May 23 meeting, Derezinski said he’d told his fellow councilmembers that this amendment was part of a continued way of “nibbling us by ducks” – alluding to other previous attempts to scale back the Percent for Art program. He said he would have used the expression “death by a thousand cuts,” but felt that was too bloody for the council.

Strategic Planning

Commissioners spent much of their May 23 meeting talking about strategic planning, picking up on a four-hour retreat they had held in April. [See Chronicle coverage: "Shaping Ann Arbor's Public Art Landscape."] They had originally intended to schedule a second retreat, but opted instead for tackling the topic at a regular meeting.

AAPAC chair Marsha Chamberlin began by saying that although the commission has previously talked about developing a master plan, she felt that the term “strategic plan” was more appropriate and was a better way to capture what AAPAC was trying to do. She brought a draft of a strategic plan, as a way to start the discussion. [.pdf draft strategic plan]

Wiltrud Simbuerger proposed thinking of the strategic plan in terms of a plan of action. That might include allocating a certain percentage of funds to particular types of projects – gateway projects, or public art in neighborhoods, for example. Another approach would be to allocate percentages of funding to large, medium or small projects, as defined by budget size. She’d also like to see a mix of long-term and short-term projects, and for AAPAC to be proactive in their work, not just responsive to proposals that are submitted by others.

Cathy Gendron expressed some concern about whether the allocation of funds to a certain type of project would dictate its size. Does that tie AAPAC’s hands? Simbuerger said the intent would be to guide AAPAC’s work generally, but that they could stray from those general strategies based on community input or when opportunities arise.

Bob Miller asked about the funding outlook – what are the projects for Percent for Art revenues next year? Theresa Reid pointed to the city’s capital improvements plan (CIP), saying there are more than $1 billion worth of projects in that. She said AAPAC should be made aware of things like the CIP, which could directly impact their work. [While it's true that the most recent CIP – for the fiscal years 2013-2018 – identifies $1.13 billion in projects over that period, funding for a large portion of those projects has not been identified. To some extent, the CIP is considered a "wish list" of projects that city staff believe are needed. (.pdf of FY2013-2018 CIP)]

Aaron Seagraves, the city’s public art administrator, said that in general, he’d estimate the Percent for Art program would bring in between $200,000 to $300,000 annually. [The program currently has about $500,000 in funds that have not yet been allocated to specific projects. About $629,000 in additional funds are set aside for projects that are underway, as summarized in the annual plan that AAPAC approved at its March 2012 meeting. (.pdf of FY 2013 annual public art plan)]

Gendron cautioned that commissioners need to keep in mind the constraints of the funding sources. [A percent of the budget for each city capital project – up to $250,000 per project – goes toward public art. But money earmarked for the Percent for Art program must be used for public art that somehow relates to the original funding source. For example, the Herbert Dreiseitl water sculpture in front of city hall was paid for in part using Percent for Art funds from stormwater capital projects, because the city contends that the sculpture is "related to the purposes" of the stormwater fund.]

Commissioners spent a portion of the session brainstorming about projects they’d like to get started in the next three years. Suggestions included public art at the planned South State and Ellsworth roundabout, projects in underserved neighborhoods, the traffic island at the Washtenaw/East Stadium split, the dog park at Ellsworth and Platt, the non-motorized path along Washtenaw Avenue, and the skatepark at Veterans Memorial Park.

Also discussed was the typology of projects that AAPAC would like to pursue. Ideas included projects that are interactive, creative and connective with the community. Connie Rizzolo Brown cautioned that the commission shouldn’t be too specific in its direction, however. Development of specific projects should be the purview of task forces that are created for that purpose, and for the artists who are selected, she said.

Reid suggested that over the next month, commissioners should circulate more ideas via email to discuss at their June meeting. She also said she worried about capacity. With only nine commissioners and a part-time administrator, how much work could they shoulder? There was some discussion about the process of adding commissioners – it would require the city council to amend the Percent for Art ordinance, which sets forth the number of AAPAC members. Brown ventured that councilmembers might not be inclined to do that. [Tony Derezinski, who serves on both AAPAC and city council, had left the meeting early and was not part of the discussion at this point.]

Chamberlin noted that although the position of public art administrator is only a 20-hour-per-week job, Seagraves can also work additional hours as project manager for specific art projects. A project manager’s hours are funded from the Percent for Art dollars allocated to those projects. For example, Seagraves will be the project manager for the art installation at the Justice Center, which was approved by city council at its May 7, 2012 meeting.

Miller asked whether it would be possible to make the public art administrator’s job a regular 40-hour-per-week position. Chamberlin said it would take a lot of politicking and lobbying of city council, and it’s not likely something AAPAC should pursue at this point. However, as more projects are completed and councilmembers view the program as successful, she said, the council could probably see a rationale for making it a full-time job. Miller noted that if the administrator works more hours, AAPAC can get more accomplished.

Commissioners present: Connie Rizzolo Brown, Marsha Chamberlin, Tony Derezinski, Cathy Gendron, Bob Miller, Theresa Reid, Wiltrud Simbuerger. Also Aaron Seagraves, the city’s public art administrator.

Absent: John Kotarski, Malverne Winborne.

Next regular meeting: Wednesday, June 27, 2012 at 4:30 p.m. at city hall, 301 E. Huron St. [Check Chronicle events listing to confirm date]

The Chronicle relies in part on regular voluntary subscriptions to support our artful coverage of publicly-funded programs like the Percent for Art, which is overseen by the Ann Arbor public art commission. Click this link for details: Subscribe to The Chronicle.

The pillars on this building at Allmendinger Park have been identified by a task force as one of two sites for a mural pilot program, to be funded by the Ann Arbor Percent for Art. (Photos by the writer.)

A special meeting on Friday was called specifically to vote on the site recommendations, which were made by a task force chaired by AAPAC member Jeff Meyers. He reported that the locations were chosen because they are highly visible, in different parts of the city, and in different types of environments – a residential neighborhood and a major thoroughfare.

Though some concerns were voiced during the meeting, ultimately the commissioners voted unanimously to approve the sites and the budget of $10,000 per mural. The task force will move ahead with the projects, including holding a neighborhood meeting for residents near Allmendinger Park, and selecting artists for the murals.

If this pilot program is successful, the goal is to create at least two additional murals each year.

Mural Site Selection

Jeff Meyers, who joined AAPAC in early 2010, presented a draft for a mural pilot program at the commission’s September 2010 meeting. Commissioners approved the program in November. Elements include:

• A goal of creating two murals per year on city-owned sites, with the sites to be selected by a task force.
• A budget of between $2,500 to $10,000 per mural.
• An additional 50% contingency will be budgeted to cover the administrative costs for each project, including compensation for a project manager.
• The expected lifespan for the murals, under normal wear and tear, is set at five years.
• Artists or groups of artists who apply for a mural project must be residents of Michigan.
• Selection criteria includes artistic merit, community impact and feasibility. Selection is subject to AAPAC approval. [.pdf of site selection criteria and .pdf of evaluation criteria]

Since November, Meyers formed a four-member task force, with an initial task of identifying two sites to recommend for the program’s first murals. In addition to Meyers, task force members include Hannah Smotrich, associate professor of the University of Michigan School of Art & Design; Mariah Cherem, a UM graduate student and former community manager for Yelp.com’s metro Detroit region; and Connie Pulcipher of the city’s systems planning staff.

They considered a range of potential sites, he told commissioners, including Liberty Plaza at the corner of Liberty and Division in downtown Ann Arbor; the exterior walls at the Veterans Memorial Park ice arena; the interior walls at Mack Pool; and the Ann Arbor farmers market, among other sites.

Meyers described why some sites weren’t selected. They considered the water tower at County Farm Park, for example, but learned that the city intends to paint it within the next two years. There might be an opportunity in the future to synchronize a mural project with that repainting, he said.

At Liberty Plaza, it was difficult to envision an effective, single mural there, Meyers said, given the low retaining walls and benches. Instead, the task force discussed the possibility of AAPAC working with the city possibly to attempt a total design treatment, such as painting the concrete surfaces in different colors to make the space more inviting. As it is, Meyers said, it has a Soviet-style feel.

Jeff Meyers, who's leading a pilot project task force to create two murals in Ann Arbor.

Ultimately, the task force settled on two sites: Allmendinger Park, and a retaining wall along Huron Parkway. A budget of $10,000 was recommended for each project.

There were several reasons for selecting the Huron Parkway location – the retaining wall on the western side of the street, south of East Huron River Drive. It’s a highly visible location on a road favored by locals, Meyers said, that’s accessible to motorized, non-motorized and pedestrian traffic. The retaining wall is plain concrete and functional in appearance, and would offer a traditional canvas for a mural.

Meyers reported that Colin Smith, the city’s parks & recreation manager, had cautioned the task force, saying there would need to be community discussion about the location because it’s in a “beloved viewshed” of Ann Arbor. Meyers said he needed clarification about what that discussion might entail.

Moving to the Allmendinger Park recommendation, Meyers said the mural site includes all 14 concrete pillars that encircle the building there, where restrooms for the park are located. The site was chosen because it’s in a high-use park, with an active playground, sports fields and picnic areas. The task force liked the location because it’s in a residential neighborhood, rather than downtown or along a highway. It’s on a street – Pauline Boulevard – that gets a lot of bike, pedestrian and motorized traffic.

The pillars could be viewed as a single canvas, or as 14 individual murals, Meyers said. He noted that some city staff had reservations about the site, saying there were problems with vandalism and graffiti. But rather than getting defaced, murals tend to deter graffiti, he said, pointing to the murals in the downtown area that go untouched.

Smith had said that before they could move forward, they’d need to hold a neighborhood meeting to get buy-in from the residents, Meyers said, adding that he didn’t know how that might extend the project’s timeline.

Mural Site Selection: Commissioner Discussion

Elaine Sims wondered what would trigger a neighborhood meeting like the one Smith is suggesting. This was the first time AAPAC had heard of this requirement, she said. Meyers replied that if city officials feel that public meetings are appropriate, they have every right to require them. That’s true, Sims said, but it would be good to know, so that AAPAC can plan for them. Marsha Chamberlin pointed out that during the redesign of Sculpture Park – located at the corner of Catherine and Fourth, in Kerrytown – neighborhood meetings were a part of that process.

Margaret Parker asked about the size of the pillars at Allmendinger and the retaining wall on Huron Parkway, and what materials they were made of. The pillars and wall are made of concrete, Meyers said. He wasn’t sure about the exact sizes.

AAPAC member Margaret Parker.

Parker pressed him about the surface, saying that it was important to consider. The surface – and whether it’s exposed to the elements – dictates what kinds of materials can be used for the mural, she said.

Other commissioners weighed in, saying this was something for the task force or the artist they selected to consider. Sims suggested that AAPAC begin collecting information about the surface materials and conditions on these sites, to build a database for future reference. Connie Brown pointed out that this would be a better discussion for another meeting – perhaps their upcoming planning session.

Parker then expressed caution about the time and effort it would take to do these two projects, and suggested that they tackle only one at a time. The public meeting component alone could be a significant time investment, she noted.

Meyers argued against separating the two projects, saying it would just slow down the process. He said he didn’t think the murals would be as controversial as the art for the new municipal center. [Parker chaired the task force for that project, which resulted in the city commissioning a large water sculpture by German artist Herbert Dreiseitl. That piece cost over $750,000 and is still under construction.]

Parker then suggested telling the public that AAPAC was considering two sites, and asking for public input. She feared that if they picked these sites, it would seem like the decision is “coming from above.”

Meyers said it wouldn’t be presented that way. The approach would be to say that they wanted to put a mural at these sites, and to ask for feedback. “The message is whatever you want to make it,” he said. Sims agreed that it was better to set the stage positively, rather than “open up a huge can of worms.”

Commissioners decided to vote on the two items separately, starting with the site at Allmendinger Park.

Outcome: AAPAC unanimously voted to approve the task force recommendation of selecting the building at Allmendinger Park for a mural site.

Next they considered the Huron Parkway site. Parker again suggested holding off on the second site until the mural at Allmendinger is finished. Meyers again said he thought that delaying it was unnecessary.

Sims said she liked the site because of all the reasons that Meyers had previously outlined. She felt the artist they select could determine how much of the surface to use in the mural.

Parker asked about the surface – what material was it made of? Poured concrete, Meyers said. Chamberlin reminded commissioners that the only question they had to answer was whether they approved this site for the mural. “It’s as simple as that,” she said. Parker replied that surfaces matter – she’s a painter, and knows that the condition of the site and the surface material influence what can be done there, and how much it will cost.

Meyers said the task force didn’t want to limit the artist in determining how to approach the project. Rather, they wanted to offer up a site that the artist can respond to. It’s not productive to set limits, he said. Sims noted that the artist they select might not use paint – they might work in powered metal, create a mosaic or even use plant material, like the Wave Field at the University of Michigan, by the artist Maya Lin.

Malverne Winborne said that the beauty of AAPAC is that its members range from experts like Parker to “Mr. Clueless” – referring to himself. He said perhaps she had too much knowledge, which he said was a complement. At that, Winborne called the question – a parliamentary move that ended discussion and forced a vote.

Outcome: AAPAC unanimously voted to approve the task force recommendation of selecting the retaining wall along Huron Parkway for a mural site.

Discussion continued after the vote. Parker asked whether the city would allow an artist to attach something to the retaining wall. She noted that when AAPAC had discussed the possibility of doing that in conjunction with an art project for the Stadium bridges, “that was a big no-no.” Meyers replied that the artist they select will have to work with whatever constraints the city imposes.

Saying she loved both recommendations, Chamberlin asked Meyers what the next steps would be for these murals. He said he’d check with parks & recreation about the neighborhood meeting. In addition, they’d be selecting stakeholders who live near each location to join the task force. They’d develop and issue a request for qualifications (RFQ), with the ultimate goal of selecting artists for each mural – recommendations from the task force would be voted on by AAPAC. The same task force would handle  the selection process for both murals.

Parker requested that AAPAC get a written report each month about the task force’s progress. Noting that this was a learning process, Winborne suggested that the next cycle could include some of the information that arose during the meeting – answers to questions about the size of the location and surface materials, for example.

Meyers said the idea is to figure out if they like the results from this pilot program – if they do, they can refine the process and make it an annual program that would hopefully expand into more murals per year.

Other Business: Monthly Meeting Date

Also at Friday’s special meeting, commissioners reached a consensus to change their monthly meeting date to the last Wednesday of each month. Until this year, AAPAC met on the second Tuesday of the month. When this date posed a challenge for the commission’s newest member, Malverne Winborne, they changed the meeting dates starting in January 2011 to the first Tuesday – a date that was difficult for Jeff Meyers to make.

Because AAPAC already held its March meeting – on March 1 – the next regular meeting is set for Wednesday, April 27 at 4:30 p.m. at the 7th floor conference room of the City Center building at 220 E. Huron St. In addition, an annual planning meeting is scheduled for Thursday, March 31 starting at 5:30 p.m., also in the 7th floor conference room of the City Center building.

Commissioners present: Connie Brown, Marsha Chamberlin, Jeff Meyers, Margaret Parker, Elaine Sims, Malverne Winborne.

Absent: Cathy Gendron, Cheryl Zuellig.

Next regular meeting: Wednesday, April 27 at 4:30 p.m., 7th floor conference room of the City Center building, 220 E. Huron St. [confirm date] The commission has also scheduled an annual planning meeting for Thursday, March 31 starting at 5:30 p.m., also in the 7th floor conference room of the City Center building.